‘Enchanted (Taylor's Version)’ by Taylor Swift - Lyrics & Meaning

When Taylor Swift released her third studio album, Speak Now, in 2010, she was poised as one of the brightest and most hopeful characters in country music.

The album came after her career-defining sophomore project, Fearless, and was chock full of tracks that would go on to become glimmering standouts in her small but mighty discography.

From tales of young love and perseverance ('Mine,' 'Sparks Fly,' 'Speak Now,' 'Ours') to breakups and love lost in various forms ('Back to December,' 'Dear John,' 'The Story Of Us,' 'Last Kiss,' 'Haunted'), and even some more mature, introspective topics like those found in 'Mean,' 'Never Grow Up,' 'Innocent' and 'Long Live,' Speak Now saw the young star-in-the-making taking her golden pen to paper on her own, producing songs that have now become modern day standards.

There was one song, however, that formed a life of its own once eager Swifties got their hands on it, which is where we find 'Enchanted'.

Never a single, 'Enchanted' was released in October of 2010 as one of the original 14 tracks on Speak Now. Upon its release, it landed at No. 75 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as No. 44 on the Digital Song Sales chart and No. 11 on the Country Digital Song Sales chart.

The Gold-certified track saw a resurgence in late 2021, as it went viral on TikTok. What resulted was an eleven-year-old song amassing millions of streams and re-entering the Billboard charts, including the Global 200 (No. 55), Country Streaming Songs (No. 9) and the Digital Song Sales and Streaming Songs charts.

More recently, as Swift unveiled the highly-anticipated setlist for her career-spanning The Eras Tour, which splits the three-hour show into nine album-defined sections, it was revealed that 'Enchanted' was the sole song included from the Speak Now era. Though it's arguably the song performed with the most pomp and circumstance.

Now with a certified '(Taylor's Version)' tag in tow, Holler's favorite blonde-haired songstress has re-opened the doors to her most magical and whimsical song to date.

The stirring track opens with a gentle and steady acoustic guitar, as Swift paints the picture of a fateful first meeting between two hopeful lovers.

With much of the same energy as her 2008 mega-hit 'Love Story,' this song provides a fantasy-like framework that seemingly transports you to ballgowns, star-crossed love and tales as old as time in just under six minutes.

As Swift frolics through the verses with her signature, romantically profound prose, the production ebbs and flows as well, eventually building from a lone guitar to an anthemic power ballad as we arrive at the arena-ready chorus.

Exploding into the perfect singalong moment, which Swifties have happily made one of the most magical moments at The Eras Tour, the song continues to build on itself as we hit a fever pitch at the bridge.

At face value, 'Enchanted' doesn't entirely fit into the box of any singular genre, but rather includes elements of country, pop and even some rock sprinkled in along the way. Seeing as this was the last official "country" release from our genre-agnostic Queen, that description is rather fitting.

The original version of the song was co-produced by Swift, along with Nathan Chapman - the duo behind each of Swift's first five records.

On the other hand, the re-recorded 'Taylor's Version' sees Swift and Christopher Rowe behind the soundboard. Funny enough, the pair have co-helmed each of the three re-recorded albums thus far, including Speak Now.

Though the 2023 version does include most of the same sonic elements of the original, the new rendition finds a much more vocally mature Swift at the microphone - no longer at the ripe age of 21 - giving a strong and moving performance of the enduring fan-favorite.

"There I was again tonight
Forcing laughter, faking smiles
Same old tired, lonely place
Walls of insincerity, shifting eyes and vacancy
Vanished when I saw your face
All I can say is, it was enchanting to meet you"

Our scene opens on Swift being, presumably, at a party or other social event but she's just faking her way through the niceties with a smile and a laugh. While one moment it's another mundane night out, the next brings a life changing encounter that melts all of the monotony away in an instant.

"Your eyes whispered, 'Have we met?'
'Cross the room your silhouette
Starts to make its way to me
The playful conversation starts
Counter all your quick remarks
Like passing notes in secrecy

And it was enchanting to meet you
All I can say is, I was enchanted to meet you"

The pair of potential lovers lock eyes and there's a sense of familiarity as our male protagonist comes toward her in the crowd.

They start chatting and the chemistry is evident from the start. Before they know it, it's like these two, who were just strangers mere minutes ago, have known each other a lifetime.

"This night is sparkling, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
I was enchanted to meet you"

After their chance encounter, she's practically seeing stars and already quite smitten with her new suitor.

As she's heading home, she's blushing as she recounts their conversation and the giddiness of meeting him, but she does have to wonder if he feels the same... and if he knows the effect he had on her.

"The lingering question kept me up
2 AM, who do you love?
I wonder 'til I'm wide awake
And now I'm pacing back and forth
Wishing you were at my door
I'd open up and you would say, 'Hey'

It was enchanting to meet you
All I know is, I was enchanted to meet you"

That night, she's left unable to sleep as her mind races about the evening's events and whether or not this man is as enamored with her as she is with him.

She can't stay still and has now been moved to pace her room, as she's overwhelmed with want for him to show up and confess his love. Regardless of his feelings, she is overwhelmed with feelings of enchantment as we head into the chorus once more.

"This is me praying that
This was the very first page
Not where the story line ends
My thoughts will echo your name, until I see you again
These are the words I held back, as I was leaving too soon
I was enchanted to meet you
Please don't be in love with someone else
Please don't have somebody waiting on you
Please don't be in love with someone else
Please don't have somebody waiting on you"

In typical Taylor Swift fashion, everything hinges on the bridge. As the story and the song pick up the pace, we start to feel the urgency in her feelings about this man.

We hear her imploring for this to be the first page of their love story, rather than the end to a great tragedy. Until she sees him again, she won't be able to stop ruminating, and now she's left thinking about all the things that she wish she would've said when she had the chance - namely that there's no one else with his name on their heart.

"This night is sparkling, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
This night is flawless, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, dancing around all alone
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
I was enchanted to meet you"

Swift has done fewer and fewer interviews in recent years (mostly because she simply doesn't need to). However, if we go back to 2010, ahead of Speak Now's release, a young Swift had much to say about the record and 'Enchanted.'

In an interview with Yahoo! Music, she explained the origin of the fantasy-filled tune.

"It was about this guy that I met in New York City, and I had talked to him on email or something before, but I had never met him. And meeting him, it was this overwhelming feeling of: I really hope that you're not in love with somebody," a 21-year-old Swift explained. "The whole entire way home, I remember the glittery New York City buildings passing by, and then just sitting there thinking, am I ever going to talk to this person again? And that pining away for a romance that may never even happen, but all you have is this hope that it could, and the fear that it never will".

She continued to share how she immediately started writing the tune upon returning to her hotel room, with the hope of conveying how much she loved meeting the guy in question, who may or may not have been Owl City's Adam Young.

Swift added, "I think my favorite part of that song is the part where, in the bridge, it goes to sort of a stream of consciousness... At that moment, that's exactly what my thoughts were. And it feels good to write exactly what your thoughts were in a certain moment".

While the specific person who inspired the song has never been confirmed, 'Enchanted' remains one of Taylor Swift's most beloved (and screamable) songs, and will forever hold a special place in Swiftie's hearts.

"There I was again tonight
Forcing laughter, faking smiles
Same old tired, lonely place
Walls of insincerity, shifting eyes and vacancy
Vanished when I saw your face
All I can say is, it was enchanting to meet you

Your eyes whispered, 'Have we met?'
'Cross the room your silhouette
Starts to make its way to me
The playful conversation starts
Counter all your quick remarks
Like passing notes in secrecy

And it was enchanting to meet you
All I can say is, I was enchanted to meet you

This night is sparkling, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
I was enchanted to meet you

The lingering question kept me up
2 AM, who do you love?
I wonder 'til I'm wide awake
And now I'm pacing back and forth
Wishing you were at my door
I'd open up and you would say, 'Hey'

It was enchanting to meet you
All I know is, I was enchanted to meet you

This night is sparkling, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
That this night is flawless, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, dancing around all alone
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
I was enchanted to meet you

This is me praying that
This was the very first page
Not where the story line ends
My thoughts will echo your name, until I see you again
These are the words I held back, as I was leaving too soon
I was enchanted to meet you
Please don't be in love with someone else
Please don't have somebody waiting on you
Please don't be in love with someone else
Please don't have somebody waiting on you

This night is sparkling, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
This night is flawless, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, dancing around all alone
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
I was enchanted to meet you

Please don't be in love with someone else
Please don't have somebody waiting on you"

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